Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP) Reaches New 52-Week Low - Time to Sell?

Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $203.08 and last traded at $206.12, with a volume of 524227 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $212.12.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

EXP has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Loop Capital lowered their price objective on Eagle Materials from $280.00 to $245.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on Eagle Materials in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $242.00 target price for the company. Citigroup lowered shares of Eagle Materials from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and cut their target price for the company from $334.00 to $280.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. DA Davidson decreased their target price on shares of Eagle Materials from $265.00 to $260.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $310.00 target price on shares of Eagle Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $279.40.

Eagle Materials Stock Performance

The company's 50 day moving average is $227.50 and its 200-day moving average is $260.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.95 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 2.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

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Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $3.59 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.97 by ($0.38). Eagle Materials had a net margin of 20.91% and a return on equity of 34.14%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Eagle Materials Inc. will post 14.39 EPS for the current year.

Eagle Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 17th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.45%. Eagle Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.14%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Michael R. Nicolais acquired 310 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $257.36 per share, for a total transaction of $79,781.60. Following the purchase, the director now owns 3,655 shares in the company, valued at $940,650.80. The trade was a 9.27 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eagle Materials

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Eagle Materials by 50.0% in the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 2,887 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $828,000 after buying an additional 962 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Eagle Materials in the third quarter valued at about $230,000. EP Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Eagle Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at $236,000. National Bank of Canada FI increased its holdings in shares of Eagle Materials by 1.5% in the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 3,872 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,114,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its position in shares of Eagle Materials by 78.1% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 37,948 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $10,915,000 after buying an additional 16,645 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.07% of the company's stock.

About Eagle Materials

Eagle Materials Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells heavy construction materials and light building materials in the United States. It operates in four segments: Cement, Concrete and Aggregates, Gypsum Wallboard, and Recycled Paperboard. The company engages in the mining of limestone for the manufacture, production, distribution, and sale of Portland cement, including Portland limestone cement; grinding and sale of slag; and mining of gypsum for the manufacture and sale of gypsum wallboards used to finish the interior walls and ceilings in residential, commercial, and industrial structures, as well as well as containerboard and lightweight packaging grades; manufacture and sale of recycled paperboard to the gypsum wallboard industry and other paperboard converters; the sale of readymix concrete; and mining and sale of aggregates, such as crushed stone, sand, and gravel.